Brown  University 


The  Gorthell  Library 

IN 

The  John  Hay  Library  Building 


Providence,  Rhode  Island 


1912 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2017  with  funding  from 

University  of  Illinois  Urbana-Champaign  Alternates 


https://archive.org/details/corthelllibraryi00brow_0 


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General  Statement 

of  the  contents  of 


“THE  CORTHELL  LIBRARY” 


in 

John  Hay  Library  Building- 

Brown  University,  Providence,  R.  I. 

THIS  Library  is  a collection  made  during  forty-five 
years  (1867-1911)  of  professional  work  as  a 
Civil  and  Consulting  Engineer,  interested  also 
in  Geography,  Science  and  Engineering  Education,  with 
a membership — exclusive  of  military  and  patriotic  socie- 
ties and  clubs,  etc.— in  18  societies  in  the  United  States 
and  17  in  other  countries. 

Of  late  years  the  founder  of  the  Library  has  arranged 
for  making  it,  as  it  will  be  at  Brown  University,  not 
only  truly  a research  and  reference  library,  but  a growing 
one,  to  increase  continually  for  all  time,  thus  making  the 
chain  complete  from  the  earliest,  or  at  least  earlier, 
publications  of  societies,  etc.,  to  the  latest  of  this  and  the 
coming  centuries. 

Its  principal  features  are  those  of  Civil  Engineering, 
but  Geography  and  Science  have  an  important  place  in 
the  Library.  There  is  a card  index  in  the  Library  which, 
up  to  the  present  time,  contains  about  8,000  cards  and 
20,000  references,  and  comprises  most  of  the  contents  of 
the  Library. 


Following  is  a list  of  the  Societies  and  Institutions  of 
which  the  Founder  is  a member,  life  member  or  honorary 
member.  The  current  Proceedings  and  Transactions 
will  be  found  on  the  reading  table  and  the  bound  volumes 
on  the  shelves. 


Foreign  Societies 

1.  Canadian  Society  of  Civil  Engineers.  Member. 

Entire  collection  bound,  about  40  volumes. 

2.  Institution  of  Civil  Engineers,  London.  Member. 

Entire  collection  bound,  about  HO  volumes. 

3.  Societe  des  Ingenieurs  Civils  de  France.  Membre 

d’Honneur.  Entire  collection  bound,  about  170 
volumes. 

4.  Institution  of  Engineers  of  the  River  Plate. 

Member. 

5.  Sociedad  dos  Engenheiros  de  Portugal.  Membro 

honorario.  5 volumes,  unbound. 

6.  La  Asociacion  de  Ingenieros  y Arquitectos  de 

Mexico.  Member.  5 volumes,  unbound. 

7.  Le  Sociedad  Cientifica  Argentina,  Buenos  Aire&. 

Contributing  Member.  4 volumes,  bound;  5 
volumes,  unbound. 

8.  Royal  Society  of  Arts,  London.  Fellow.  Com- 

plete collection. 

9.  Royal  Geographical  Society,  London.  Fellow. 

Complete  collection. 

10.  International  Association  of  Navigation  Con- 

gresses, Brussels.  Life  Member.  30  volumes, 
1890-1908.  Believed  to  be  the  most  complete 
collection  in  the  United  States. 

11.  International  Association  of  Road  Congresses 

(Congres  de  la  Route),  Paris.  Life  Member. 
5 volumes,  Congress  of  1910  at  Brussels. 

[2] 


12.  International  Maritime  Association,  Paris.  Mem- 

ber. 2 volumes,  unbound. 

13.  Club  dos  Engeneiros,  Rio  de  Janeiro.  Life  Mem- 

ber. 1 volume,  unbound. 

14.  International  Association  of  Tests  of  Materials. 

Member.  1 volume,  bound. 

15.  Centro  de  Navigacion  Transatlantica,  Buenos 

Aires.  Honorary  Member. 

16.  International  Congres  du  Froid,  Paris.  Member. 

4 volumes,  unbound,  and  large  number  of  Bul- 
letins. 

17.  Geographic  and  Scientific  Society  of  Mexico. 

Miembro  Honorario. 

United  States  Societies 

18.  American  Society  of  Civil  Engineers.  Member 

Emeritus.  Collection  complete,  71  volumes, 

bound,  1867-1911. 

19.  Boston  Society  of  Civil  Engineers.  Member. 

(Journal  of  the  Association),  45  volumes, 
bound,  1882-1911. 

20.  Western  Society  of  Engineers,  Chicago,  111. 

Member.  Complete  collection,  1879-1911. 

Bound  volumes. 

21.  Engineering  Association  of  Michigan.  Honorary 

Member.  (The  Technic),  5 volumes,  un- 

bound. 

22.  Society  for  the  Promotion  of  Engineering  Educa- 

tion. Member.  Complete  collection,  19  vol- 
umes, bound,  1893-1911. 

23.  American  Society  for  Testing  Materials.  Member. 

Complete  collection,  12  volumes,  bound,  1899- 
1912. 


[3] 


24.  National  Association  of  Cement  Users.  Member. 

3 volumes,  bound,  1909-1911. 

25.  National  Geographic  Society,  Washington.  Mem- 

ber. 11  volumes,  bound,  Vols.  12-22. 

26.  American  Geographical  Society,  New  York. 

Fellow.  23  volumes,  bound,  1888-1911. 

27.  American  Association  for  the  Advancement  of 

Science.  Fellow.  35  volumes,  bound,  1876- 
1911;  also  “Science,”  18  volumes,  bound,  Vols. 
15-32. 

28.  American  Railway  Engineering  Association.  Mem- 

ber. Complete  collection,  13  volumes,  bound. 

29.  American  Association  of  Highway  Improvement, 

Washington.  Member. 

30.  National  Highways  Association.  Member . 

31.  American  Institute  of  Consulting  Engineers. 

Member. 

32.  Pan  American  Chamber  of  Commerce.  Founder. 

33.  Geographical  Society  of  the  Pacific,  San  Francisco. 

Life  Member. 

34.  Society  of  the  Phi  Beta  Kappa,  Brown  Chapter. 

Member. 

35.  Society  of  the  Sigma  Xi.  Member. 

Periodicals,  Books  and  Reports 

1.  Engineering,  London.  Complete  set,  1866-1911, 

92  volumes,  bound. 

2.  Annales  des  Ponts  et  Chaussees.  Complete  set, 

bound. 

3.  Le  Genie  Civil.  Vols.  47-59,  bound,  1905-1911. 

4.  Engineering  Magazine.  Vols.  9-41,  1895-1911, 

bound. 

5.  Engineering  News.  Vols.  17-66,  1887-1911, 

bound. 


[4] 


6.  Engineering  Record.  Vols.  49-64,  1897-1911, 

bound. 

7.  Railroad  Gazette  and  Railway  Age  Gazette. 

1870-1911  (some  missing),  bound. 

8.  Poor’s  Manual  of  Railroads.  1888-1911,  24 

volumes. 

9.  Annual  Reports  Chief  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  A., 

Rivers  and  Harbors.  Complete  collection  from 
1870  to  1911. 

10.  Cement  Age.  Vols.  1-10  and  11.  10  volumes, 

bound. 

11.  American  Institute  Mining  Engineers.  Vols.  19- 

26,  bound. 

12.  British  Association  Advancement  of  Science.  1881- 

1885. 

13.  Proceedings  International  Engineering  and  Water 

Commerce  Congress,  Chicago,  1893.  Civil, 
Mechanical,  Mining,  Naval  and  Military  En- 
gineering. 10  volumes,  bound. 

14.  Transactions  American  Society  Mechanical  Engi- 

neers. 17  volumes,  1880-1896,  bound. 

15.  N.  Y.  & Conn.  Railroad  Comm.  Annual  Reports. 

16  volumes,  bound. 

16.  Reports  and  Records,  Isthmian  Canal  Commission. 

17.  Boston  Rapid  Transit  Commission,  Annual  Re- 

ports. 15  volumes,  bound. 

18.  Books  on  Roads  and  Electric  Transmission.  20 

volumes,  bound. 

19.  Books  on  Railroads  and  Highways.  13  volumes, 

bound. 

20.  Spons  Dictionary  of  Engineering.  8 volumes. 

21.  Appleton’s  Cyclopedia  of  Drawing. 

22.  Cyclopedia  of  Engineering,  Cresy.  2 volumes. 

23.  Mississippi  River  Annual  Reports,  1881-1903. 

[5] 


24.  Commerce  and  Navigation,  U.  S.  Government  Re- 

ports. 9 volumes. 

25.  Harbors  and  Ports,  Coast  and  Geodetic  Survey, 

Transcontinental  Triangulations.  18  volumes. 

26.  Traite  des  Eaux,  Picard.  7 volumes. 

27.  Concurso  of  Rosario  Port  Works.  12  volumes, 

1900. 

28.  Report  of  U.  S.  Commerce  and  Navigation.  6 

volumes. 

29.  Transports  et  Tariffs,  Colson.  1898. 

30.  Rivers,  Harbors  and  Ports,  Miscellaneous.  36 

volumes. 

32.  Inland  Navigation,  Germany.  12  volumes. 

33.  Barge  Canals,  New  York,  Reports.  Bound,  8 

volumes. 

34.  Reports  Royal  Commission  Canals  and  Water- 

ways, Great  Britain.  15  volumes,  1906-1911. 

35.  Naval,  Mahan.  2 volumes  (Influence  of  Sea 

Power) . 

36.  Naval  Annual,  Brassey.  8 volumes. 

37.  International  Engineering  Congress,  Glasgow, 

1901.  9 volumes,  bound. 

38.  Merchant  Vessels,  U.  S.  6 volumes. 

39.  Blue  Book  American  Shipping.  8 volumes. 

40.  Reports  Commissioner  of  Navigation,  U.  S.  4 

volumes. 

41.  Port  of  Bilbao,  Annual  Reports,  1889-1911,  and 

111.  History.  1 volume. 

42.  Commercial  Relations,  U.  S.  8 volumes. 

43.  International  Marine  Conference,  Washington. 

44.  Der  Wasserbau,  by  Keehn.  2 volumes,  German. 

45.  Cour  des  Travaux  Maritimes,  Rochemont.  2 

volumes  text,  1 volume  plates. 

46.  Lloyd’s  and  Bureau  Veritas.  7 volumes. 

[6] 


47.  Brazilian  Yearbook,  1908. 

48.  Books  on  Cement,  Concrete  and  Reinforced  Con- 

crete. 14  volumes. 

49.  Eclairage  des  Cotes  de  France.  6 volumes, 

1900-10. 

50.  Instruction  et  fonctionnement  et  Dessins  sur  le 

Balisage.  3 volumes.  French. 

51.  Eads  Bridge,  St.  Louis.  History,  111.  1868-1875. 

52.  Egyptian  Irrigation,  Wilcox.  2 volumes. 

53.  Dictionary  Electrical  Terms. 

54.  Panama  Canal.  71  books  and  pamphlets. 

55.  Nicaragua  Canal.  8 books. 

56.  Tehuantepec  Ship  Railway.  8 books. 

57.  General  Interoceanic.  5 books. 

58.  Isthmian  Treaties.  1 volume. 

59.  Suez  Canal,  Voisin  Bey.  10  books. 

60.  Statistique  de  la  Navigation  Interieure.  12 

volumes. 

61.  La  Navigation  des  E.  U.,  Vetillart.  2 volumes. 

62.  Jetties,  South  Pass,  Mississippi  River.  8 books. 

63.  Mississippi  River.  7 books. 

64.  General  River  Engineering,  American  and  For- 

eign. 24  books. 

65.  Rapid  Transit.  Large  package. 

66.  Pan  American  Railway  Surveys.  8 volumes. 

67.  Water  Supply,  Humber.  Large  volume. 

68.  Sewerage,  Latham.  Large  volume. 

69.  Sewerage,  Rawlinson.  Large  volume. 

70.  British  and  Foreign  Harbors,  Rennie.  2 large 

volumes.  Very  valuable. 

71.  The  Forth  Bridge,  illustrated.  2 volumes. 

72.  Geological  Survey.  6 volumes. 

73.  Jungfrau  Bahn.  2 volumes,  illustrated. 

74.  Harbor  Construction,  Shield. 

[7] 


75.  Dock  Construction,  Colson. 

76.  International  Scientific  Congress,  Buenos  Aires, 

1910. 

77.  Ports  of  the  Kingdom  of  Italy.  5 volumes,  1910. 

(Italian.) 

78.  Mississippi  River  Charts.  3 portfolios. 

79.  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Station,  N.  Y.  2 sets  plans 

and  3 volumes. 

80.  Engineering  Index.  2 volumes,  1896-1905-6, 

annual. 

81.  Engineering  Index.  Volumes  1906-11. 

82.  Dock  and  Harbor  Engineering,  Cunningham.  2 

volumes. 

83.  The  Seacoast,  by  Wheeler. 

84.  Lives  of  the  Engineers,  Smiles.  5 volumes. 

85.  Large  scrapbooks.  10  volumes. 

86.  The  Engineer.  3 volumes,  1 868-69. — Precedes 

“Engineering.” 

87.  Hydraulics  of  Great  Rivers,  Revy. 

88.  Record  of  Modern  Engineering,  Humber. 

89.  Life  of  Robert  Stephenson.  2 volumes. 

90.  Letters  and  Addresses,  James  B.  Eads. 

91.  Harbors  and  Docks,  Rivers  and  Canals,  Harcourt. 

4 volumes. 

92.  Rankine’s  Works.  4 volumes., 

93.  Materials  of  Engineering,  Thurston.  3 volumes. 

94.  Harbors,  Canals,  Rivers,  Stevenson. 

95.  Bridge  Laws  of  the  U.  S.  Several  volumes. 

96.  Theory  of  Strains,  Stoney. 

97.  Several  Reports  by  Eads. 

98.  Reports  on  New  York  and  New  Jersey  Bridge 

over  North  River.  3 volumes. 

99.  Monetary  Reports.  Casasus. 

100.  Irrigation  in  India,  Wilson.  3 volumes. 

[8] 


1 


101.  Irrigation,  Mead  and  Newell.  Also  an  extensive 

bibliography,  same  subject. 

102.  Tunneling,  Drinker. 

103.  Washington  Bridge,  illustrated,  New  York  City. 

104.  Advisory  Board  Consulting  Engineers  Barge 

Canals.  1908-10. 

105.  American  Dredging  Operations.  1890-1900. 

106.  Ure’s  Dictionary  Arts,  Manufactures  and  Mines. 

3 volumes. 

107.  Tests,  University  of  Illinois.  17  reports. 

108.  Port  of  Montevideo.  7 volumes,  2 portfolios. 

109.  Argentine.  Miscellaneous  books,  papers,  charts, 

reports. 

110.  Brazil.  Miscellaneous  books,  papers,  charts, 

reports. 

111.  Report,  111.  Central  Railroad,  Corthell. 

112.  International  Asscn.  Testing  Materials.  Reports. 

113.  Marine  Review  (unbound),  1904-1911 

114.  Scientific  American  (unbound),  1904-1911. 

115.  Reports  on  Bridges,  illustrated  folios,  Morison, 

Omaha,  Rulo,  Blair,  Sioux  City,  Bellefontaine, 
Bismarck,  Nebraska  City,  Plattsmouth,  Cairo, 
Memphis. 

116.  Thames  River  Bridge,  Boiler. 

117.  Elbe  Bridge,  Gleim. 

118.  Engineering  Organizations  of  the  World.  2 large 

packages. 

119.  Engineering  Education.  Large  package. 

The  above  two  subjects  are  the  result  of  a 
long  investigation  and  comprise  data  of  very 
considerable  value  to  Engineers  and  Profes- 
sors of  Engineering. 

120.  U.  S.  Canals  and  Locks.  6 sheets. 

121.  Passenger  Terminals  of  the  World.  Pamphlet 

Case.  2 large  packages,  same  subject. 

[9] 


4 


122.  13  packages  containing  following:  (a)  New 

Orleans  Bridge  project,  (b)  Reports  on  Rail- 
roads. (c)  Specifications,  Railroads,  Bridges, 
etc.  (d)  General  Specifications,  (e)  Mouth 
Mississippi  River,  (f)  Reports,  Harbors  and 
Ports,  Ship  Railways,  Nicaragua  Canal,  Large 
Bridges,  (g)  Literary  Productions  of  E.  L. 
Corthell,  2 packages. 

123.  Package,  La  Ingenieria,  three  years,  unbound. 

124.  Package,  Bulletin,  Pan  American  Union. 

125.  The  103  large  pamphlet  cases  contain  reports  and 

data  on  a large  variety  of  subjects — 11  on 
Bridges,  6 on  Canals,  19  on  Harbors  and  Ports, 
2 on  Waterways,  2 on  Navigation,  others  on 
Cement,  Concrete,  Dredges,  Electricity,  Re- 
frigeration, Hydrographic,  Mexico,  Nicaragua 
Canal,  Panama  Canal,  Metric  System,  Rail- 
roads and  Appliances,  Highways,  Terminals, 
Waterways,  etc.  In  pigeonhole  cases  are  rolled 
charts  and  plans  on  many  of  the  above  subjects. 


The  above  are  some  of  the  important  contents,  but  as 
there  are  about  7,000  volumes  and  reports  and  pamphlets, 
the  card  catalogue  must  be  referred  to  for  further  in- 
formation. 

One  of  the  most  important  features  of  the  Library, 
outside  of  its  use  as  a research  and  reference  library,  is 
the  literature  on  the  Reading  Table , consisting  of  current 
Proceedings  and  Transactions  of  Institutions,  Societies, 
Congresses,  etc.,  as  per  list  at  the  beginning  of  this  state- 
ment ; also  current  issues  of  the  following  Papers,  Reports 
and  Periodicals,  regularly  published : 

[10] 


(1) 

(2) 

(4) 

(5) 

(6) 

(7) 

(8) 
(9) 

(10) 

(ID 

(12) 

(13) 

(14) 

(15) 

(16) 

(17) 

(18) 

(19) 

(20) 


Annales  des  Ponts  et  Chaussees,  Partie  Technique. 
Isthmian  Canal  Commission. 

Professional  Memoirs,  Corps  of  Engineers, 
U.  S.  A. 

Annual  Reports,  Chief  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  A. 
Poor’s  Manual  of  Railroads. 

Le  Genie  Civil. 

Engineering  News. 

Engineering  Record. 

Railway  Age  Gazette. 

Engineering  Magazine. 

Engineering,  London. 

Scientific  American. 

Cement  Age. 

Engineering  Index. 

La  Ingeneiria  (Buenos  Aires). 

U.  S.  Daily  Consular  Reports  and  Bound  Volumes 
with  Indexes. 

Bulletin  Pan  American  Union. 

Marine  Review. 

Barge  Canals,  Current  and  Annual  Reports. 


1 


tr 


[11] 


4 


Copies  of  this  statement  will  be  placed  on  file  with  the 
following,  viz. — The  Librarian  of  the  Corthell  Library, 
the  Librarian  of  the  Brown  University  Library,  the 
Providence  Chapter  of  the  American  Society  of  Civil 
Engineers,  the  Providence  Chapter  of  the  American  So- 
ciety of  Mechanical  Engineers,  the  Boston  Society  of 
Civil  Engineers,  the  Dean  of  the  Scientific  School  of 
Harvard  University,  the  Sheffield  Scientific  School,  Yale 
University,  the  Massachusetts  Institute  of  Technology, 
the  Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute,  and  the  Engineering 
Departments  of  Brown  University. 

Elmer  Lawrence  Corthell,  Dr.  Sc., 

Civil  and  Consulting  Engineer. 

North  Egremont,  Mass.,  and  149  Broadway, 

New  York  City,  May  18th,  1912. 


[12] 


